Diaz Hearing Shelved Until Commission Sees Medical-Marijuana Card

The Nevada State Athletic Commission has put the Nick Diaz disciplinary hearing regarding his suspension for testing positive for marijuana metabolites on hold, at least until the fighter presents to the commission his medical-marijuana card.

Diaz had tested positive after his fight with interim champ Carlos Condit at UFC 143.

The NSAC then suspended Diaz “indefinitely” pending a hearing that would decide the fighter’s fate. Diaz lawyer Ross Goodman recently sent a letter to the NSAC claiming they had only 45 days following the suspension to make a ruling.

If a ruling was not made within the 45 day time limit, the suspension would be considered void. The last chance for the hearing to happen would be April 24 if it is to happen within the 45 days. Goodman also believes the NSAC has no legal right to suspend Diaz for testing positive for marijuana, because he did not break any rules by using marijuana outside of competition.

Diaz is allowed by California law to use marijuana for medicinal purposes, but still has yet to show his medical-marijuana card to the NSAC.

Christopher Eccles, the Nevada deputy attorney, responded to Goodman’s letter by claiming Diaz failed to show for the first hearing that addressed the fighter’s suspension, and had not presented his medical-marijuana card to them even though an agreement had already been made for Diaz to do so.

Eccles also reported that Goodman’s claim of only having 45 days to decide whether or not to punish Diaz is only for special cases that “require emergency action”; and that the NSAC has been waiting “for more than a month” for Diaz to bring forward his medical-marijuana card.

Diaz is currently preparing for a jiu-jitsu super fight with Braulio Estima in May, and has stated recently that he would stay retired from fighting. So it seems we will have to wait just a little longer to find out what will happen to Diaz.

However, the much publicized hearing with UFC heavyweight Alistair Overeem, to discuss high testosterone levels found in his system after a random drug test is scheduled to take place with the NSAC on April 24.

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